Durham sits in that perfect in-between zone — the stretch where you can still get a decent-sized lot, maybe a few acres, without mortgaging your soul. Ajax and Pickering are on the more connected side — you can hop on the 401 or the GO Train and be downtown fast — but even there, you can find older properties with big yards or tucked-away ravine lots that give you privacy. Head north to Port Perry or Uxbridge, and things start to feel properly rural: Rolling farmland, dense forests, gravel roads, and the kind of quiet that makes you realize just how loud the city really is.
There are a lot of reasons why Durham works so well for people chasing the off-grid dream without cutting all ties to civilization. For one, the region’s geography is friendly to it. There’s a mix of forest, farmland, and hilly terrain, meaning you can choose between open sunny fields for solar setups or sheltered woodlots for firewood and windbreaks. Water is plentiful — lots of properties sit near creeks, ponds, or wetlands, and wells in the region tend to be reliable. There’s also a healthy mix of agricultural zoning and rural residential areas, so you’re not fighting impossible bylaws every time you want to install a wood stove or dig a garden.
Then there’s the community aspect. Durham is full of small-town charm — places where your neighbours might lend you a chainsaw instead of complain about the noise. Farmers’ markets are everywhere, local tradespeople know their stuff, and there’s a growing crowd of people who’ve already made the jump to sustainable living. Need solar panels installed? There’s probably someone down the road who’s done it and knows a good supplier. Need advice on wells, septic systems, or rainwater collection? Same thing — the expertise is local and practical.
Another underrated perk is the access to resources. Because Durham is still within an hour or so of the GTA, you can buy supplies, tools, and building materials without paying huge delivery fees. You’re also near larger towns with hospitals, schools, and stores — so you’re off the grid, not off the map. And if you need to work part-time in the city or sell goods at an urban market, the drive is short enough to make that sustainable too.
Cost-wise, it just makes sense. Land in the northern parts of Durham is still reasonably priced, and even in the southern towns, it’s nowhere near the insanity of Toronto real estate. For the same money you’d spend on a small condo downtown, you could buy a few acres, plant fruit trees, build a workshop, and live with room to breathe.
In short, Durham Region gives you options — not just in geography, but in lifestyle. You can go fully off-grid with solar, wood, and well water, or stay semi-connected with modern comforts while producing your own food and power. Either way, you get that rare mix: Close enough to the city for work and errands, far enough away to see the stars at night.
The commute into Toronto might be longer, but that is all the more reason why you should explore more options that are closer to your new home, whether you are becoming your own boss, starting your own business, or at a point in your life where you prefer to work-from-home via a laptop.
